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French psychoanalysts sign petition supporting same sex marriage

More than 500 psychoanalysts have signed a petition in favour of gay marriage in France. They say that there is nothing in psychoanalysis that opposes either marriage or adoption by same sex couples.

“This evolution in our civil code has finally put France out of touch with nine European countries, thirteen countries around the world and nine American states” according to psychoanalyst and one of the founders and authors of the petition , Laurence Croix.

Olivier Douville, is also a co-author of the petition. He is the director of the journal Clinical Psychology.

“In reaction to this democratic evolution, some people have proposed putting forward a theoretical psychoanalysis that formally opposes this project” states the opening paragraph of the petition.

However, in response to this attempt of a psychoanalytical approach to the question of gay marriage, the petition states that “psychoanalysis cannot be used as a way to oppose a law that is connected to the equality of rights”.

The text goes on to explain that psychoanalysis is not to be used for either moral or predictive purposes.

Those who signed the petition also noted from their own clinical experience of same sex couples with children that this type of parenting “is not any more disruptive than other environments”.

Amongst those who signed the petition is Nicole Ankin, the director of the Sigmund Freud University.

President François Holland's left-wing government will present its draft bill on gay marriage later this week on Wednesday.